Method of obtaining a ready comparison of factors in a power producing or using apparatus.



E. G. BMLEY.

mmon 3F oaumme A-READY COMPARISON OF morons m A POWER rnooucma on usms APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24. NHL RENEWED AUG. 24. 19H.

1,257,964. l atentedMar. 5,1918.

iiuqervzor; 13 1 621 I \J UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERVIN G. BAILEY, OF NEWTON HIGHLANDS MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO BAILEY METER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF OBTAINING A READY COMPARISON OF FACTORS IN A POWER PRODUCING OB USING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1915.

Application filed February 24, 1913, Serial No. 750,069. I Renewed August 24, 1917. Serial No. 188,088.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERVIN G. BAILEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Newton Highlands, in the county of Middlescx and fitate of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Methods of Ohtaining a Ready Comparison of Factors in a. Power Producing or Using Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

v The present invention relates to a method of obtaining a ready comparison of two or more differently varying active factors in a power producing or using apparatus with a view 0 adjusting one or more of said factors in order to secure the condition of desired efficiency at all rates of output.

The flow of air to support combustion, the flow of steam and the flow of the products of combustion in the case of a steam boiler plant, the flow of fluids in a turbine, engine or pump, the flow of electricity (which for the purpose of my invention may be regarded as a fluid) in an electric enerator, or in an electric motor, the ow of liquid fuel or of gaseous fuel to a ower generator, the pressures of such fiui s, the speed of the moving parts of such an apparatus and the heat of fluids in such an apparatus are examples of what I regard as active factors of a power producing or using apparatus within the scope of my invention.

In any particular piece of apparatus the factors which are active therein vary throughout the range of output of the apparatus at rates which are different from one another and the same factors in different forms of the same kind of apparatus vary at different rates. It is therefore impossible to construct in advance any indicator which will give a ready comparison of the active factors in such a way that any departure in their relation from that corresponding to the condition of desired efficiency may be indicated at all rates of output. But I have found that by making an empirical determination of the relative value of said factors throughout the rates of output of the apparatusat the desired efficiency I can then associate, according to said empirical determination, movable mechanical elements upon which the factors act and a common standard of comparison so as to make an observable presentation of any departure in the relation of said factors from the relation which I have found to exist when there is a condition of desired ef'ficicncy, at all rates of output.

In a particular steam generating apparatus, for example, if solid fuel 15 used, there is a relation between the drop in pressure due to resistance of the fuel bed and the rate of flowof the gases through the fuel bed, which relation must be maintained whatever may be the output of the apparatus in order to o crate it at the desired efficiency. This re ation is determinable only by testing the apparatus and may and generally does vary throughout the range of its output at the desired efficiency. T here is also a similar relation between the rate of flow of air and the rate of flow of steam,

which relation can be found by comparing some factor, such as a pressure difference which is a function of therate of flow 0 steam, with a similar factor which is a function of the rate of flow of air. If gaseous or liquid fuel is used, there is a similar relation between the rate of flow of the gas or liquid and the rate of flow of air supplied to com plete the combustion. There is also a similar relation between the temperature of the flue gases and the rate of heat generation. Any departure in the relation of these active, factors from that corresponding to the condition of desired efficiency indicates that there is some defect inthe handling or adjustment of the apparatus which ought to be remedied.

In the case of a steam operated electric generator, there is a similar relation between the amountof steam used and the amount of current generated.

In fact, in all known forms of apparatus for enerating or utilizing power, certain varia le active factors are essential to the operation of the apparatus, and these factors bear certain relations to each other which can be em irically determined when the desired con itions of efliciency exist throughout the range of output.

In carrying out the method in which my invention consists I test the apparatus in question to make an empirical determination by any known methods, such as pressure measurement, gas analysis, etc., of the be the same as the devices which are acted upon by the factors in the testing of the apparatus. I then associate the element or elements acted u on by the factors with a common standar of comparison according to the empirical determination of the relative value of the factors in such a way as to make an observable presentation of any departure in the relation of the factors from the relation which has been found to exist when the condition is that of desired cfiiciency at all rates of output. I am thus able to obtain an indicator which tells by a ready comparison while the apparatus is in practical every day use, whether or no there 18 any deviation from such a determined relation. In the practical application of the method indicators which respond in their operation to the pressure differences or other factors, are so arranged with rela-- tion to each other, or so converted into a single indicator as to indicate visually any deviation from the previously ascertained relation between the factors.

In order that'the method and the utility thereof may be most easily understood, I have chosen, as an illustration, the method of showing the condition of a steam generating apparatus in which solid fuel is used. In connection with such an apparatus, it may be stated that when fuel 0 a certain character and quality is used for a given purpose, a definite amount of air should be used per pound of fuel to produce the most efiicient combustion; and each pound of fuel so used should cause the eneration of a definite quantity of steam. ach unit of air supply, therefore, should result in the generation of a definite amount of steam at a given rate of steam generation when the furnace and boiler are in the condition of the desired efficiency. A relation, therefore, exists between the rate of flow of air and the rate of flow of steam when such is the case which is so complex, that it cannot be determined throughout the range of output of the apparatus, except empirically.

In carrying out my invention, it is practicable to connect movable indicating members, preferably arranged in proximity to each other or otherwise associated, with the several sources of PIBSSllix'. so that the members will be, acted upon by the pressures in such a way that the positions of the members will vary, respectively, as some function of the rate of steam generation from the boiler, the rate of air supply to he furnace, and the condition of the fuel bed. I then test the apparatus to determine empirically the relative positions of the several indicating members for various rates of output at the desired efficiency. I then modify and readjust one or more of the indicating members, or graduate a scale formin a common standard of comparison, to s ow their positions, or that of the indicators of any equivalent indicating device I may desire to use, and thereby associate them so that one can readily observe whether or not the furnace conditions and other conditions are as they should he to obtain the desired efficiency. Moreover, the arrangement is such that if the conditions are not as they should be, one can readily note what changes should be made. For a better understanding of the practical application of my method, I have herein shown a simple device which can be utilized to advantage.

The drawing is a front elevation of such a device. I I

Referring to the drawing, the device consists of three separate modified U-tubcs 4, 40 and 400, of known type, suitably arranged or associated for ready comparision of the positions of the several columns of liquid in the tubes. The branches 1 and 2 of the U- tube 4 are connected to a Pitot tube, Vcnturi tube, or similar device in the steam pipe through which the steam generated in a boiler passes, so that a motion of the indicating liquid in leg 3 will respond to any change in the rate of flow of steam. Connections 10 and 20 likewise communicate with a Pitot tube or similar device in the air or gas passage to or from the furnace, or as is usually most convenient, connect, respect ivcly. by direct connections into the said gas passage at a point where the gases enter and at a point where the gases leave the boiler setting, so'that a pressure difference is obtained which varies as some function of the rate of flow of air through the furnace or boiler setting, any variation in which pressure difl'crencc is indicated by motion of the. indicating liquid in log 80. Pipes 100 and 200 are connected below and ahnvc the fuel bed, respectively, and the motion of the indicating liquid in the leg 300 will be caused by variations in the drop in pressure across the fuel bed. This drop in pressure acros the fuel bed varies both as the rate of flow of air through the fuel bed and as the resistance or condition of said fuel bed. and a comparison of the drop in pressure due to the resistance of the fuel bed with the difference between the pressure of the gases entering the boiler setting and the pressure of the gases leaving the boiler setting, or some substantially constant resistance in series with the fuel bed gives a reliable indication of the condition of the fuel bed independently of the rate of How of air through said fuel bed. By roperly connectin the U-tube gages, as escribed, one step 0 the method is accomplished.

I test the apparatus to determine empirically the existing conditions at any time by various tests of weight of coal burned, gas analysis, etc., and, from such data, I determine what positions of the indicators in tubes 30 and 300 should correspond to variious positions of the indicator in the tube 3 under conditions of the desired efiiciency. After these facts are determined, I associate the indicators in tubes 3, 30, and 300 and a common standard of comparison by graduating a scale 5, according to the positions of the indicators in the tubes at several rates of output when the apparatus is working at the desired efiiciency. I thus obtain an indicator giving a ready comparison of any departure, in the relation of the air and steam flows and in the resistance of the fuel bed, from the condition of desired efliciency, by showing whether or not all the indicating members (in this case the ends of the columns of liquid) are on the same graduation of said scale. Therefore, when the furnace is in operation, if the indicating members are not on the same graduation it shows that changes should be made in the fuel bed or draft regulations to make the conditions right. For instance, if the indicator in tube 3 registers with a certain graduation, and the indicator in tube 30 is above that graduation, and the indicator in tube 300 is below that graduation, it indicates that there is more air passing through the furnace than should be required to generate steam economically at the rate at which it is being generated, and that this is caused because the resistance of the fuel bed is too low, and the fuel bed too thin. Or, if the indicators in tubes 30 and 300 register with the same graduation while the ind ator in tube 3 is below that graduation it shows that too much air is being supplied, although the fuel bed has the right average resistance. This reading shows that the fuel bed is too thick in some parts of the grate and too thin in others, and that it should be leveled in order to utilize the air more effectively.

In the above description, the pressure differences which are functions of the rates of How and fuel bed resistance, are the varying active factors, and are utilized to operate the movable elements. Furthermore. the'U- tube ages and the graduated scale have been c osen as an illustration on account of the simplicity of this device as a means for completing the invention.

In cases, however, where pressure differences are not alone available for the purpose of operating the movable eleinents as in the case of a steam operated electric generator, a movable element, the position of which varies with variations in the current output (for example, the pointer of an indicating watt-meter) can be associated with an indicating steam meter. In a similar way, a thermometer can be used when variable temperature is one of the factors. In all these cases the method of showing any departure from economical conditions is the same.

The invention, therefore, is capable of wide and varying uses, and does not'depend in any way upon the use of any specific instrument or evice.

What I claim is:

1. The method of obtaining a ready comparison of two or more differently varying active factors in a power producing or using apparatus with the view of adjustingonc or more of said factors in order to secure the condition of desired efliciency at all rates of output, which consists in testing said apparatus to make an empirical deter mination of the relative value of said factors throughout the range of output of the apparatus at the desired efliclency, causing each of said factors to act upon a corresponding movable mechanical element, and associating said elements upon which the factors act and a common standard of comparison according to said empirical determination to make an observable presentation of any departure in the relation of the said factors from that corresponding to the condition of desired efliciency at all rates of output.

2. The method of obtaining a ready comparison of the rates of flow of two or more fluids in a power producing or using appa ratus with a view of adjusting the rate of flow of one or more of said fluids in order to secure the condition of desired efficiency at all rates of output, which consists in testing said apparatus to make an empirical determination of the relation of the rate of flow of one fluid to the rate of flow of another fluid throughout the range of output of the apparatus at the desired efliciency, causing forces each of which is a function of one of said rates of flow to act upon a corresponding movable mechanical element, and associating said elements upon which the forces act and a common standard of comparison according to said empirical determination to make an observable presentation of any departure in the relation of the rates of flow of said fluids from that corresponding to the condition of desired efiiciency at all rates of output.

3. The method of obtainin a ready com parison of the rates of the ow of air and steam in a steam generating apparatus with the view of adjusting the rate of flow of one or the other of said fluids in order to secure the condition of desired efiiciency at all rates of output, which consists in testing said apparatus to make an empirical determinationof the relation of the rate of flow 30 of air to the rate of flow of steam throughout the range of output of the a paratus at the desired efficiency, causing a. orce which is a function of the rate of flow of air and a force which is a function of the rate of flow of steam, each to act upon a movable mechanical element, and associating each element upon which the forces act and a common standard of comparison according to said empirical determination to make an observable presentation of any departure in the relation of the rates of flow of said air and steam from that corresponding to the condition of desired cfliciency at all rates of output.

i. 'I he method of obtaining a ready indication of the resistance of the fuel bed to the passage of air therethrough in a furnace using solid fuel with a view of stokiug the fire, which consists in testing said furnace to make an empirical determination of the relation of the drop in pressure across the fuel bed and the rate of flow of gases through said fuel bed throughout the range of output of heat energy of the furnace at the desired resistance of the fuel bed, causing forces which are respectively functions of said. drop in pressure and of said rate of flow each to act upon a movable mechanical element, and associating each element upon memo;

which the forces act and a common standard of comparison according to said empirical determination to make an observable presentation of any departure in the resistance of the fuel bed from that corrcspending to the desired resistance at all rates of output of heat energy.

5. The herein described method of showing at all times any departure from the condition of best efficiency in a power producingapparatus, which method consists in testing said apparatus to determine empirically at each and every rate of output throughout the range of operation of the apparatus the relation then existing between certain active factors; and causing said active factors to operate visual indicating devices in such a way that said indicating devices show at all times and at every rate of output, the existence or non-existence of a relation between said factors which should exist at the existing rate of output.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERVIN G. BAILEY.

Witnesses:

M. E. COVENLY, JAMES J. MALONEY. 

